## Choosing Sensors Often the first step is to look for a sensor for what you're hoping to measure. In the community posts below, we're collecting info on different kinds of air quality sensors, and their: * cost * sensitivity/accuracy * links and documentation Can you afford a sensor? Can it detect what you're looking for? Where can you learn more about it? ### Posts about choosing and evaluating an air sensor [notes:grid:air-sensor-eval] ### Expected ranges and useful detection limits for pollutants of interest This [table](https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/air_sensors_webinar_slides_06-29-16.pdf) from an EPA [Air Quality Monitoring and Community Science webinar](https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/air_sensors_webinar_slides_06-29-16.pdf) lists the six criteria air pollutants and a couple additional pollutants, with background levels you might see in the environment in the “Range to Expect” column and useful detection limits for sensors. **** ## Wikis about air sensors [wikis:air-sensors] ## Air sensor projects Public Lab pages and posts tagged `air-sensor-projects` will appear here [nodes:air-sensor-projects] ## Questions [questions:air-sensors] ## Further reading and resources + Environmental consultant Tim Dye’s “[4 questions to ask before buying an air quality sensor](http://tdenviro.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/4-questions-when-buying-air-sensors.pdf)” neatly summarizes what to consider when choosing an air sensor. + [Snuffle.org](http://www.snuffle.org/): lots of information on low-cost sensors for various air pollutants. + [Air Quality Sensor Performance Evaluation Center (AQ-SPEC)](http://www.aqmd.gov/aq-spec/evaluations): from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, this program tests and evaluates air sensors “in the field, under ambient conditions, and in the laboratory under controlled environmental conditions.” + [Air Sensor Toolbox](https://www.epa.gov/air-sensor-toolbox): from the US Environmental Protection Agency, this toolbox includes guidance on how to use air sensors and their data, plus information on sensor performance and evaluation results. ...
| Author | Comment | Last activity | Moderation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| warren | "Just noting also a big round up of notes on humidity and fog with optical sensors here: https://publiclab.org/questions/sarasage/08-10-2021/is-the..." | Read more » | over 3 years ago | |||
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| bhamster | "Thanks so much for your reply, Chris. I might give the build a try in the future, and in the meantime will dig around a bit more for existing infor..." | Read more » | almost 4 years ago | |||
| cfastie | "I have not used a CCS-811 VOC sensor outdoors. That's mostly because I live in the woods in Vermont and the data would be boring. However the senso..." | Read more » | almost 4 years ago | |||
| eustatic | "thanks for any answers! " | Read more » | almost 4 years ago | |||
| bhamster | "@cfastie @sarasage The conversation you had in the comments of this post mentioned above was very helpful. Do you happen to have any updates from t..." | Read more » | almost 4 years ago | |||
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| liz | "Hi @Katie, i believe we have done something related, but not exactly what you are inquiring about. We have used video interviews to learn how peopl..." | Read more » | over 4 years ago | |||
| Ag8n | " The only other thing to point out- all these calculations assume the particles are spheres. We had particle surface area measuring equipment. T..." | Read more » | over 5 years ago | |||
| wu_ming2 | " I believe your first question was answered in general terms here: https://publiclab.org/questions/Ag8n/08-18-2018/pharmaceutical-class-100000-part..." | Read more » | over 5 years ago | |||
| warren | " @nanocastro @cbarnes9 @ag8n @wu_ming2 @bigmit37 might also know a bit about this? " | Read more » | over 5 years ago | |||
| stevie | " Hi all, great questions here. Pinging in a couple people who might be able to help provide some insight @cfastie @guolivar Best, Stevie " | Read more » | over 5 years ago | |||
| jeffalk | " Hi @OrionAllgaier, It's great to be curious and I'm sorry I can't answer your questions. But I am also curious. To my mind if one is trying to pr..." | Read more » | over 5 years ago | |||
| midol | "some PMS5003 distributors specify that Mie scattering is used " | Read more » | almost 6 years ago | |||
| guolivar | " It all depends on what your objectives are. You'll notice that most air quality monitoring stations (the regulatory ones) have wind measurements w..." | Read more » | almost 6 years ago | |||
| Ag8n | " Normally, in an open location, the national weather service (NWS) wind direction would be ok. But as you get into more urban locations, where bu..." | Read more » | almost 6 years ago | |||
| Ag8n | "Please look at the data sheet for the purple air sensors. Specifically, the r2 data for the pm1.0, pm2.5, and pm 10. At least in the medical fiel..." | Read more » | almost 6 years ago | |||
| warren | "Just as we're speaking, @cfastie posts :smiley: https://publiclab.org/notes/cfastie/11-28-2018/nano-particle-monitoring ! " | Read more » | almost 6 years ago | |||
| warren | "@Cbarnes9 are you at all interested in something like this, where it'd be a PMS7003 connected to an Arduino to just get the data off as quickly as ..." | Read more » | almost 6 years ago | |||
| warren | "I agree, i think it's laser scatter -- you can read @guolivar's post here for a bit more! https://publiclab.org/notes/guolivar/01-08-2018/thoughts-..." | Read more » | almost 6 years ago | |||
| warren | "Hi! I had to look up "adsorb" -- (it means accumulating on the surface rather than interior) but that makes sense -- basically @guolivar, you're sa..." | Read more » | almost 6 years ago | |||
| Cbarnes9 | "Hello everyone, sorry for the late replies; I am posting the field study results from AQMD that I was referencing. Their tests indicate that the PM..." | Read more » | about 6 years ago | |||
| jeffalk | "@cfastie is certainly correct in his comments that each of the purple air devices reads, in general, higher than the Grimm. (Almost all slopes (coe..." | Read more » | about 6 years ago | |||
| cfastie | "The field evaluation report linked above includes 78 graphs comparing the results of a Purple Air sensor with a $25k GRIMM optical particle counter..." | Read more » | about 6 years ago |